Conserving Wisconsin’s amazing landscapes for the long run means working together — at a larger scale than ever before.
Landscape-scale conservation protects nature by connecting large areas of land and involving more people in the process. NRF is committing to work at this larger scale in order to meet Wisconsin’s growing conservation needs.
Lulu Lake State Natural Area, a focus of recent NRF funding, is part of a globally-important landscape in southeastern Wisconsin: the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. Photo by Joshua Mayer.
What is landscape-scale conservation?
Landscape-scale conservation is an approach that protects biodiversity across big, varied landscapes, rather than focusing only on individual species or sites in isolation. This highly collaborative strategy acknowledges the interconnectedness of ecosystems. It also considers the needs of wildlife, plants, ecological processes, and human communities together.
Landscape-scale conservation:
- protects large, ecologically meaningful areas
- is community-based and highly collaborative with voluntary participation on both public and private lands
- connects fragmented habitats so wildlife, plants and ecosystems can better adapt to climate change
[Landscape-scale conservation] embraces the complexity of working at scale to connect and protect our irreplaceable landscapes — across public and private lands, and from our cities to our wildest places.
This federally endangered Karner blue butterfly spotted at Hartman Creek State Park thrives in oak savanna and oak barrens habitats, which are often a focus of landscape-scale efforts in southern Wisconsin. Photo by Melody Lhamon.
Connecting people, connecting landscapes
The farmer
A Wisconsin farmer uses grant funding to plant native flowers on a strip of her least-productive crop land. The following summer, the productivity of her crops improves thanks to the presence of pollinators. She also enjoys walking among the new flowers and notices more wildlife going back and forth between the forests near her farm. Hearing her story, many of her neighbors follow suit. Soon enough, these pollinator strips become quite common throughout the farmer’s whole county.
The scientist
A Wisconsin scientist is part of a crew in the Driftless Area working to restore oak savannas and barrens, some of the rarest ecosystems on Earth. They use selective logging, controlled burns and native plant restoration to breathe new life into rare ecosystems that once blanketed Wisconsin. Oak savanna and barrens landscapes support species like the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly and the declining red headed woodpecker. As their habitat is restored, the landscape improves its resilience against climate change, soil health and water quality begin to improve, and more carbon is sequestered. The scientist notices that public health improves, community members are exploring the scenic beauty, and our state’s natural heritage is preserved for future generations to enjoy.
The community member
A Wisconsin community member visits his local nature center that recently added a new patch of native prairie habitat for birds and other species. Inspired by the project, he decides to raise funds to transform a grassy lawn outside his office into a planted prairie, too. Now, he takes his lunch breaks outside with his binoculars in hand, searching for songbirds and other wildlife while he eats. This improves his mental health and wellbeing, and his friends and family take notice. Others in his community engage in similar projects. After a few years, these microhabitats have created an entire corridor for wildlife stretching all the way across the county. Water quality improves throughout the community thanks to less erosion and pollutants. People have better access to green spaces and spend more time outside, especially the new local birding clubs.
Members of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin search the grounds of the American Players Theatre in Spring Green for birds. The native prairie restoration on the theatre’s grounds provides excellent habitat for birds — and a stage for bird drama. Photo by Jeff Galligan.
These three stories are fictional, but they don’t have to be. We all will benefit from expanding the focus of conservation.
Landscape-scale conservation can certainly ensure that rare ecosystems can thrive, supporting biodiversity and resilience to climate change.
But landscape-scale conservation isn’t just about saving a rare landscape — it’s also about saving our humanity. What kind of lives do we want to live? Landscape-scale conservation can improve public health, soil health, and water quality, sequester carbon, contribute to scenic beauty, and preserve our natural heritage so that future generations can enjoy the same beauty and benefits we do.
These whitetail deer peeking from between the trees in Platteville, WI are a reminder that human and wildlife “habitats” are interconnected. Landscape-scale conservation invites voluntary participation from a variety of people on both private and public land. Photo by Barb Cullen.
How do we “do” landscape-scale conservation in Wisconsin?
To meet Wisconsin’s conservation needs, NRF is committing to conservation work at a larger scale. Years of research has shown that site-based work (at the scale of individual properties), though very important, will not sustain biodiversity richness over time.
Plants and animals don’t see the lines on maps separating farms, cities, and protected areas. They only see habitat. Our wilderness, forests, prairies, wetlands, and other habitats need connectivity to thrive. Corridors help ensure species can migrate, disperse, and adapt to climate change.
By collaborating and building numerous partnerships, we can accomplish landscape-scale projects that cross all boundaries. Conservation in Wisconsin can coexist with outdoor recreation, agriculture, and forestry. The landscape-scale approach often involves partnerships with government agencies, nonprofits like NRF, private landowners, Indigenous communities, businesses, and others who care about protecting nature in our great state.
Currently, we are piloting landscape-scale projects that build on the work we’ve been supporting over the past 20 years in Wisconsin’s top priority regions for biodiversity.
Thank you to our members and conservation partners for being a part of this exciting work!
Learn more about Landscape-scale conservation:
Written by Shelly Torkelson, Director of Communications